In the portable seating industry, a market exists for high performance folding chairs that are capable of efficiently and effectively withstanding heavy use and servicing large audiences. These seating situations are commonly found in gymnasiums, stadiums, auditoriums, schools and churches and at outdoor events, such as picnics and concerts. Due to the common nature of the events, the performance requirements for these chairs can be extremely demanding. For example, they must be able to withstand rugged use, such as that commonly found with sports fans and concert goers, and to also provide comfort for long seating periods.
Many folding chairs tend be uncomfortable, especially in circumstances of extended seating time. For example, seats are commonly made of a rigid material, such as metal, plastic or wood, which obviously can become uncomfortable over time. Sometimes these rigid seats are covered with a layer of padding, such as foam, which may not be sufficient in thickness, resiliency and/or quality in every case.
Moreover, these seat constructions tend to ignore the contours of the human body. For example, seating surfaces are commonly one dimensional, whereas the human body plainly is not so simple.
Folding chairs also tend to provide insufficient back support for the reason that the back support is commonly minimized for folding operation and storage. For instance, backrest portions are typically much smaller than the human back and also are made of a rigid material, such as metal, plastic or wood, which obviously can become uncomfortable over time, and ignores the contours of the human body. As with seats, backrests are sometimes covered with a layer of padding, such as foam, which may not be sufficient in every case. Also, backrests tend to be one-dimensional, as opposed to the human body. As a result, there is desire for a folding chair with a seat and backrest that provide enhanced comfort, particularly for high performance folding chairs used in preferred seating areas, and also the requisite durability for heavy and rugged use.
In addition to providing an enhanced folding chair, there is also a desire for a folding chair that provides enhanced seat comfort but remains lightweight and compact. In order to improve seating comfort, seats are commonly provided with additional padding, which, as a result, causes the overall thickness of the chair in the storage configuration to be too thick for many cases. That is, in some instances, storage for chairs is a significant consideration, and thus, these situations require a relatively thin chair to facilitate storage. However, there is a desire for a chair that provides a seat having more comfort than traditional metal or wood seats simply covered with a layer of foam that also can be stored in approximately the same space as such traditional chairs.